Misunderstood
by I'd Rather Drown
Summary: Cassie was the newest member to the team... and the California girl had some dark, dark secrets. Who will be there when she reaches her breaking point? After all, change is hard.
1. Prologue

**So, I decided that the shit I posted a looooooooooooooooooooooooooo ong time ago was realllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllly bad. Like, legit. (Sorry, I have a problem with plot lines.) So I'm gonna try this again. Forreal. And Imma try to make it better. (Notice the word _"try"_ was in that sentence. Jussayin.) **

**So.  
**

**Here we go!...**

* * *

Night had fallen; it filled around her as she quickened her pace down the brick sidewalk. It clothed her like a blanket, stalking her. The clouds hung low, and when she looked up, she swore she could feel the water vapor droplets on her face. Somewhere a storm was brewing.

What was normally a bright, bustling part of the city was now a dark, ghostly, vacant area. No lights shone from the once illuminated windows; they were now covered with boards or broken glass shattered all along the sidewalk. Rats scuttled past her, making little squeals as they raced her towards the only light shining at the end of the street.

She stared high into the sky, barely making out the cross that stood tall on the steeple. Lights shone from inside the church- someone was there. Staring at the large, heavy brass knockers in front of her, she inhaled deeply and picked one up, letting it fall back twice, the classic signal. Seconds later, a tall, dark haired man appeared at the door. He made no noise; just moved enough to let her slender figure through the crack in the door, only to close and bolt it shut. She was in this now, no getting out. Stuck. _Hostage_.

She turned and followed the man down through the pews, towards a back door. From there, he pointed down a set of steep stairs in the ground that were illuminated by a dim light at the bottom of them. She grabbed onto the bar and descended, breathing a sigh of relief when she reached the bottom.

There he was- her love. Sure, he was bound, gagged, and unconscious, but he was alive. She could feel his pulse, even in the distance.

She was vaguely aware of the stillness in the room, which was very bare. The walls were silver, metal almost. The only object inside was the metal chair he was chained to, and that was nailed to the ground. Taking a deep breath, she walked forward.

In seconds, something changed. He was no longer in his chair, instead she was seated, arms being tied. She didn't even realize it until she heard the gun cocked and was looking down the barrel. How did she end up here?

"You keep the lies up, you're dead," he sneered, eyes narrowed behind his mask. Staring back blankly, her jaw dropped. They weren't alone.

"I don't know what you're-" _POP! _The sound rang through the room, and everyone winced.

She had no chance to tell the truth.

* * *

**Ok, so that was realllllllly short... but it's the prologue. So it's supposed to be... Reviews?**


	2. One

Cassie didn't like her new room. It was so bland; everything here at the cave was just... _boring_. She didn't like the white walls, or the twin-sized bed up against the wall to her left with the blue bedding. The closet was already full of all her stuff, but there was a dresser up against the opposite wall, a desk between them. There wasn't even a window. The only light was coming from the ceiling fan hanging in the center of the ceiling- and even _that_ was boring: brown blades and a rusted pole with gold painted pull-switches. Too bad she was stuck here for the rest of the year.

A soft knock was made on her door. Cassie turned to see a tall, lanky, green woman standing there, smiling widely. "I tried my best." She ran a hand through her cropped red hair. "They didn't give me much of a budget." Cassie knew her to be Miss Martian- or Megan as she'd told Cassie to call her- and Cassie already respected her since she was probably the most welcoming on the team. Behind her was Lagoon Boy, her boyfriend. He peered around Megan's shoulder, smiling.

"It's better than mine."

"My room at home is much better," Cassie joked, running her hand along the bedding. For a moment, tears started to form in her eyes. She blinked them away, knowing here was where she really belonged. Diana had even told her that when they were on their way to the cave.

"This is only temporary. Eventually you'll be able to go home and visit." Megan turned away. "Everyone's going to meet for dinner in less than five minutes. I cheated and ordered pizza." Lagoon Boy followed her, close at her heels.

Cassie stared up at the white ceiling. She was proud to be noticed by the League, but she missed her family and friends. Knowing she wouldn't be going to school in California anymore gave her a little pang of pain. Sure, she probably wouldn't have any drama with these people (they all seemed to be decent people), but sometimes that was what Cassie liked. It gave her something to look forward to everyday. Sadly, the only drama she'd be encountering now would be with idiots who thought they could eventually run the world.

The halls of the Cave were wide and dark, with small dome lights scattered around the ceiling. There were photos of YJ members and League members plastered all over the walls. Most were smiling, but then there were the stone ones- Superman, and the infamous Bat family. In every picture they had stone faces, almost like they didn't want to be wherever they were. Cassie knew that had to be false. On the other hand, a picture _is_ worth a thousand words.

The kitchen was open to a small dining room and the large living room, equipped with stainless steel appliances and a large amount of counter space. The dining room table was rectangular, made out of steel as well, with matching chairs. Everything in the Cave was so modern it felt...fake. No one sat in the dining room; instead they were self-feeding themselves and heading to the living room, where they slid on the plush carpeted floor or the large wrap around leather sofa. Either way, they were all facing the TV, which was broadcasting the latest live streaming of the local news.

"Feel free to grab some. If you don't want pizza, you can use whatever's in the kitchen," Mal told Cassie as he breezed by her with a plate full of pizza. Smiling, Cassie wound her way to the kitchen, noticing that there was only one piece left. Not wanting to already piss off the people she'd be living with for a while, she opened the fridge and found a fridge stacked full of beer and prepackaged fruit. There was a lone bottle of wine in the far corner, and Cassie figured it was Megan's. Shuffling around in the pantry some, she managed to make herself a flatbread with turkey, lettuce, mayo, American cheese, and an egg. She wandered into the living room long enough to sit in an empty spot next to Connor, who was busy trying not to lose half his pizza because it was so grease-packed, eat her food, and retreat to her "room". There she opened her laptop and logged on to Facebook. Smiling, she noticed the message tab was lit. Cassie's stomach started churning, and she hoped it was him.

But the message wasn't what she was expecting.

* * *

**Reviews please?(:**


	3. Two

There was dead silence as Cassie stalked down the hall. The lights were so dim that she could barely make out the diamond cuffs she wore. Somehow, though, she found the kitchen. Maybe it was the dome light on over the stove. Or maybe it was the hum of the refrigerator. Either way, that bottle of wine she'd seen was calling her name.

Silently, she opened the fridge door and moved a few things around, trying to find it. But it was gone. "Shit."

"Looking for something?" The voice was deep, mysterious. Cassie turned to see the glass being reflected by the light of the fridge, but she couldn't see the figure holding it. The voice was too raspy to be Connor's. And the other guys on the team were young teenagers... they couldn't have a voice as deep as that...

Cassie cleared her dry throat before speaking. "Well, I certainly found it."

"No one drinks my wine." He stepped into the light, showing off a defined masculine figure. His uniform was black, but the blue bird on the front stretched over his chest, giving the pop of color the uniform needed. His hair flopped over his mask a little, and there was a small smirk on his face.

"Merlot is my favorite."

"Well, teenagers aren't supposed to be drinking."

"You're not even twenty yet."

"Exactly. You have a good rest of your night." He turned and walked down the hallway, disappearing into the shadows.

Cassie stared after him, wondering if the rumors she'd heard between Diana and her mother were true. She knew he and Batman had had a huge falling out, but no one knew the details. Diana had told her mother it was over Zatanna- Dr. Fate's gorgeous daughter who was now a member of the League- and how she had decided that he wasn't good enough for her because he refused to become a part of the League, but Cassie wondered if there was something more. Regardless, she wasn't in the mood to worry about other people. She had herself to worry about.

Settling for a glass bottle of orange soda to calm her nerves, she made her way back into her room and reread the message.

_Cassie,_

_I'm so sorry. I really didn't want to do this over Facebook, but you left me no choice. How else am I supposed to contact you if you have no connection to anything other than Facebook and you're with your Aunt Diana on the other side of the country?  
_

_I told you I love you, but I was wrong. It's not true love we had. It's puppy love. I realized it doesn't hurt as much as I thought to know you're over a thousand miles away. I know you were expecting a mushy "I miss you" message, and I'm sorry to have to hurt you this way. I just can't hurt you anymore by being with you. You've always said you want me to be honest with you. And I'm listening to you now.  
_

_We're over.  
_

_Brad._

The tears brimmed in her eyes again as she thought about what this meant. She really had nothing to go back to now. She really was stuck here with these people. California was no longer her home. Brad wasn't there anymore. No one was. Diana was off defending herself on an alien planet and Cassie had no idea when she would see her- if ever- again. Closing her eyes, the memory filled her brain.

* * *

_"Slut."_

_"Whore."  
_

_"Hoe."  
_

_They were calling her these things and they didn't even know what really happened. They didn't know what he really did. How it wasn't her fault she ended up tied to the bed..._

* * *

Cassie opened her eyes when she heard her phone alarm going off. It was 8 in the morning, and she rolled over, staring over the bed to the carpeted floor.

_Soda_.

There it was, the orange standing out on the white.

Chuckling, she got up and picked the glass bottle off the ground.

_Thank God it wasn't wine_.


	4. Three

**Sorry it's taken me so long to update & stuff. I've been really busy...**

* * *

Dick woke up to a dark room-just how he liked it. It bothered him how happy everyone else was; it was like they had no realistic thought process. They were _superheroes_ for crying out loud. They faced the realities of the world every day! How could they always be so damn happy?

He swung his legs over the side of his bed and pulled on a pair of Adidas tracksuit pants with a matching t-shirt. Despite his reputation, he rather enjoyed dressing down. He spent too much time in that damn uniform. It was like he was in a cage; he was held back from who he really was. The only person he was able to be his true self with was Zatanna, and even _she_ had deserted him.

_Zatanna_. The name was stuck in his head, as it had been since they'd first met. He had thought they were in love. She was the first to say it. She was the only person who knew his true identity, and his back story. Maybe he should've paid more attention when she dropped hints about the League. But Dick wanted to be a leader, and that was Batman's job in the League. Well, along with Superman when he wasn't at the Watchtower. Zatanna had always expressed how much she wanted to be a part of the League to find a way to save her father, who was still trapped in Doctor Fate's body. He had never expected them to have as big a fight as they did over whether of not Dick joined the team. It resulted in Zatanna walking out on him, and Bruce telling him his choice was wrong.

Thinking about this now made Dick shudder with anger. He couldn't believe that Bruce-the man who had helped him so much and always said he'd support him-told him that he was supposed to join the League. That wasn't what Dick wanted. He wanted to be a role model to the Team, help them become great heroes. He didn't want to be selfish.

He wasn't Bruce.

Shaking his head, Dick grabbed sunglasses from his nightstand and walked out into the hallway. There he bumped into Cassie, the new girl. They'd had an encounter last night where Dick had refused her his wine. Cassie looked distraught, her eyes red and puffy. Her blond hair was down in cascading waves, and if it weren't for the tear-stained face, she would've been beautiful. Dick had to blink twice. She looked different in light. "Good morning. Sleep well?"

Cassie turned her head up to the tall man staring-or she thought staring; she couldn't really tell with those glasses-down at her. She jumped back a little when she saw his ripped chest. Cassie briefly recalled their encounter last night and shrugged her shoulders coldly. "Probably better if I'd had some good wine." She continued on her way down the hall towards the kitchen, feeling Nightwing watch her do so.

When Cassie reached the kitchen, she was greeted by Megan, who was busy making breakfast, half of which was already lined up buffet style on the table. The rest of the Team went back and forth between the living room and the table, collecting food as they went. Pitchers of coffee, milk, and orange juice were lined up on the bar with glass cups between each pitcher. "Oh Cassie! Good morning!" Megan waved a spatula at her and flipped a pancake. Her smile faded when she saw the broken soda glass in Cassie's hands. "What happened...?"

"I fell asleep and when I woke up, I accidentally knocked over the soda glass on my nightstand. Imma need something to clean up the orange soda stain on my floor..."

"Oh, ok! Well, when I finish making breakfast, I'll go clean it up for you."

"Oh, no, I made the mess. I'll clean it up." Cassie moved behind Megan and threw the glass shards into the garbage can. When she went to the table, she found herself next to Nightwing again.

"I don't think I properly introduced myself. I'm Nightwing." Dick turned to Cassie, extending his hand. Cassie stared at it, pondering the consequences of doing so. Finally, she grasped his hand and shook it. "Nice grip."

"Thanks. I'm Cassie."

Dick smiled. "I know."

Cassie smirked. The rumors _were_ true. Nightwing was just as cocky as Diana warned. He was also just as hot.

But he couldn't know that.

"So, Cassie, how are thing here compared to California?" Dick finished putting food on his plate and waited for her to do the same. She shrugged (she did that a lot, he noted), a peculiar expression changing her face.

"I wouldn't know. I haven't been here all that long."

"Well, things here at the Cave are much different than in Bludhaven."

"I thought you lived in Gotham?"

"Not anymore." Cassie watched Nightwing's face change to a set jaw, and he developed a straighter stance. "I haven't lived there in a few years."

"Oh." Cassie nodded, pouring herself some milk and then heading to the living room. "So what do you do in Bludhaven?"

"Solo work. I mainly do patrols."

"Oh." Cassie dug into her food. _Mmmm_.

"Do you have any other vocabulary? Or does California not have a very good English department education system?" Dick meant it to be a joke, but the look in Cassie's eyes almost scared him.

"No. They don't. California has a sucky education system all around. In fact, I _wanted_ to leave California. I _hated _it there." She rolled her eyes, continuing to eat her food. The others had started to pay attention. Nightwing didn't really interact with anyone-even newcomers. Why Cassie?

La'gaan walked over to Megan and whispered in her ear, "I think he's found his way to get over Z."

"He'll never be over Z. She hurt him bad." Megan shook her head as she took his plate and rinsed it in the sink. He finished his drink and handed that to her as well. She rinsed that off too and returned the passionate kiss he was thinking of. Smiling, she grabbed his hand and they left the kitchen.

Connor finished scarfing down his food and left his plate unrinsed in the sink. He went back to the couch and turned to face Nightwing. "Hey, you wanna play something?" He nodded to the Xbox. Nightwing shook his head.

"I have some stuff I need to do." He turned to Cassie, who was quietly chewing her food. "Nice talking to you."

When he reached his room, he sat down at his computer and searched her named through the AFIS database. Sure, he didn't have her fingerprints, but he was the original Robin. Of course he could search her that way.

To his surprise, her name popped up. But she wasn't a criminal.

She was a victim.


	5. Four

"No. Swing your leg around. Like this." Connor balanced on his left foot and picked up his right foot, swinging it forward, spinning on his left foot around with his right leg swinging in time with his left. He knocked over two dummies in the process, causing Cassie to jump out of the way, frightened. "Cassie, you can't be afraid. You have to take control."

Control was what Cassie lacked. Everything spiraled out of control in her life, all starting with-

"Cassie? Did you hear me?" Connor snapped his fingers in front of her face again, staring at her. She seemed to be deep in thought, almost recalling a memory. He watched Cassie blink, shuddering slightly. She looked up at him with wide eyes. "Do you wanna try again?"

She nodded sheepishly, shaking as Connor put the dummies back where they belonged.

"Remember. Control." Connor stepped out of the way as Cassie stared at the dummy in front of her. Closing her eyes, she recalled every move Connor had made. Taking in a deep breath, she swung her right foot out, twisted on her left foot, and knocked down both dummies in a matter of three seconds. She landed in fight stance: knees bent, arms out to balance. When she heard Connor clapping, she stood up straight, turning to him. Smiling, she felt her face getting warm.

"Alright! That was good work! Wanna move on? Or take a break?" Connor never gave breaks. Cassie cocked her head to the side. This was a first.

It had been a few weeks, and Cassie had always been stuck on the Bio-Ship while it was in stealth mode, controlling the comms while the others went active on missions. Nightwing had been in and out, claiming to be tracking a jewel thief in Bludhaven. Every night when he returned, though, he always looked very distraught. And the wine was getting emptier and emptier each time Cassie grabbed something from the fridge.

"Actually, I'll work with her, Con." Both Connor and Cassie turned to look at the training room doorway. There stood Nightwing, in his usual tracksuit pants and matching t-shirt. The sleeves on his t-shirt had been cut off, and Cassie could see the veins on his muscles pop out. Blinking, she cast away the thought of running her fingers over them. What was she thinking? He was her _leader_. How come she was all of a sudden feeling this, too? She never thought like this- even with Brad. And he'd been on the swim team...

"Ok, man. Have fun." When Connor got close enough to him he whispered, "She needs a lot of guidance. She really is a newbie." After clapping him on the shoulder, he grabbed a towel and walked out the door.

"What made you decide to stay in today? Don't you have a date with another of Gotham's finest?" Cassie walked over to her thermos of water and towel, wiping her face off. Nightwing shrugged.

"I needed a day to myself. I had hoped to come here and train alone." Dick stared at Cassie. Even when she was all sweaty, she was still pretty. She face was bare; she didn't use makeup like most of the Gotham and Bludhaven girls he went out with. You could see her somewhat-defined muscles outlined in her spandex capris and matching sports bra.

"Why are you always alone? You never hang with anyone from the team." Cassie fixed her hair again, pulling out her hair tie and shaking her blonde waves. Nightwing shrugged, setting his stuff down where Connor's had been before.

"My friends are all either in the League, older, or retired. Except for Megan, Connor, and Mal." Dick continued to watch her pull her hair back up. Her arm muscles flexed as she wound her hair through the- what was that? He'd seen Barbra use one all the time, but he'd never learned what it was called. Either way, he really didn't care. The way she moved just mesmerized-

Why was he thinking like that?

"So... Connor was teaching you to swing kick?"

"Yeah." Cassie started to lunge to her right, and Dick watched her calf muscle pop. Swallowing, he moved towards the two dummies.

"So you learned to turn on the ball of your foot, right?"

Cassie arched an eyebrow at him.

Nightwing smiled. "Okay, show me how you kick. But don't use the dummies. Use me. I'll stand behind you." He placed a stance behind Cassie, which just so happened to be standing relaxed behind her. He watched Cassie crack her neck, and stared at him through the mirror to her left with her peripherals. Nightwing almost smiled, but that would give away the fact that he noticed that. He watched Cassie crouch a little, which was another mistake. By crouching, an enemy could easily kick her chins, causing her to fall forward. Suddenly, she swung her right leg out, faster than Dick thought. He grabbed her ankle reflexively, causing her to almost lose her balance. Cassie almost cried out in pain. His grip was strong, and she felt the circulation being cut off. It felt like her leg was being pulled out of it's socket as she lost her balance and he kept tugging on her leg. She was holding herself up with her arms placed on the matted floor, almost in a backwards pushup position.

"Nightwing, ya wanna let go? Please?" Her voice was small. Nightwing cocked an eyebrow.

"Real enemies won't let you go. Try to fight back."

"But my leg..." Images of long ago flooded her brain, and she winced even more, remembering the pain. _"Please! Stop!"..."C'mon, you know you like it!"..._

"Rule one: Don't worry about your body. Worry about your _life_. It's easier to replace a body part than a life. Which actually isn't possible." He stared down at her and watched the look in her eyes go from pain to determination. She flipped herself over, swinging her opposite leg in the process. It was a feeble attempt, but a failed one either way. Dick grabbed her other ankle less than centimeters away from hitting his head. "That was good. But you always want to get a quick advantage from your opponent. Don't think complex. Go for the obvious if you have to. They'll be expecting complex."

"Can you let go of me now? Please?"

Dick dropped her legs, and she gladly planted herself face down on the mat. "Get up. I have some pointers to show you."

Cassie did as he commanded, standing and brushing herself off.

"Why do you crouch as your stance?"

"Better balance, I guess."

"It's good for when jumping off buildings. But for swing kicks, not so much. Your chins are very vulnerable. You don't want to be knocked down before you even get to swing."

Cassie nodded, taking it in. "What else?"

"Use the ball of your foot when you spin. You'll spin faster, and you lessen then chance to twist, sprain, fracture, or break your ankle. It also helps with your balance."

"Is that it?"

Dick ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, actually. You weren't afraid to try. Always keep the simpleness in mind, though. Like I said, they expect complex. The element of surprise is best."

"I'll keep that in mind." Cassie smiled softly as she grabbed her thermos and towel, wiping off her face. There were pieces of her hair all around her face, glued by sweat.

"Good session. Connor's been training you well."

"Thanks. I'll see you around." After nodding her goodbye, Cassie walked out of the training room.

Dick went over to the punching bag and stretched out his arms. Silently, he thought about what he'd learned. Cassie wasn't just a regular girl, she was a member of the team. She was slowly becoming part of it, but he was afraid that with her past trauma, she wouldn't be able to handle combat. That was the main reason he hadn't put her on active duty. She was actually very skilled in comms. _Oh, please, Dick, you just don't want her to get hurt_... "Of course not. I don't want any member of the team to get hurt."... _Face it Dick. You want her just like all the other girls..._ "She's too burnt. She would never think of doing anything after what happened to her."... Dick battled with himself for a good hour before he finally gave up. Zatanna's face crossed his mind, and the deep butterfly feeling came over him again. He wanted to be with her so badly, but he knew that if she'd really loved him, she would've respected his wishes when he said he didn't want to join the League.

Shaking his head, he grabbed his stuff and headed to his room, where he took a long, hot shower. Silently, he sat down at his computer and stared at the screen, chomping on an apple he'd gotten from his mini-fridge. The face of the man who'd gotten off so easily stared back at him. He didn't care too much for Cassie (How could he? She was so broken, so detached; just one look in her eyes and you could see it. She was a member of the Team. Not to mention three years younger than him.) but there was one thing he hated.

Injustice.

* * *

**I just really wanted to write. So I came up with this on the fly. I'm not much of an action writer, so if this totally made no sense, I'm sorry. The main point was to show off Cassie learning to fight back, something she'd been to scared to do. It also was meant to show how she & Dick bonded. **


	6. Five

"Cassie, I'm losing everyone. It's all static," Gar sneered while- what Cassie figured- fighting off some villain. Cassie slid around to the control panel, staring at it, noting that the knobs were turned all the way up.

"Sorry, Gar. Everything's fine. I thought Megan linked you guys up before you went out?"

"Cassie, Imma lil busy. I can't even think straight, let alone talk. I need you to find a way to fix this, pronto!"

Cassie shuddered, feeling her blood boil. The past few missions she felt like she was being tested. She was doing school work online instead of attending a high school to work on other studies Diana left her (Greek mythology, Greek Royalty Genealogy, Superhero Studies, Combat Training Strategies, etc.), but it wasn't helping her to focus on her fighting skills. Then again, no one would let her on the field. She had been advancing according to Connor, and he thought she was ready to become active. Even Megan, who was helping her with her supernatural abilities, thought she was ready. Why was Nightwing rejecting it? Were Connor and Megan telling her she was ready just to boost her confidence? Or did Nightwing have something against her? "Ya know what, Gar? If you can talk this well to me, you can sure as hell think. So get your thoughts together and contact Megan. Because if I do, it's only gonna be because you're dead." There was silence on the other end. Soon, Megan's voice came over the comm system.

"Cassie, Gar's wondering why you're giving him an attitude..."

"If everyone's linked to you, why do you need me in comms? I could be back at the Cave, doing school work. Or training."

"This is your training, dear."

"Fine." Cassie sighed, bending below the desk to check the wires. "Everything's fine with the wires. The communication signal is strong. All the volume knobs between earpieces and mics are turned all the way up for everyone. It must be something down there. I don't see any faulty things here. Is there any villain down there with powers that block wireless transmitter waves?"

There was a brief silence. "Not that I'm aware of. I mean, we're in the jungle for crying out loud. I don't know what could be causing this. I mean, I can see everyone in eye distance, but I feel like there's someone else here. Maybe I'm thinking too much-" Static started in place of Megan's voice.

"Megan? Megan, can you hear me?" Cassie leaned into the mic some more. Then she tried moving around wires and knobs. Too her disappointment, none of them worked. "Connor? La'gaan? Nightwing? Gar? Anyone?" Nothing. Just static.

_Shit_.Everything was out of control again. Cassie was stuck, all on her own, with no one to call, and nothing to do to save her friends. Cracking her knuckles, she stretched out, grabbed the headband laying on the control panel, and descended from the ship.

When she got down there, she noticed how humid it was. After pulling her hair up, she jumped into the air and started flying around, trying to locate the others. She couldn't get Megan mentally, nor anyone else. Frantically, she continued her search. There was no one.

Until she reached the battle grounds. There she saw Connor and the others surrounding Megan, who was convulsing on the ground. Foam was sliding out of her mouth, and La'gaan was holding her against him. Cassie wound her way to the others, and placed a hand on Bumblebee, so she would know she was there. "Move her back on the Bio-ship. We need to get her help." Karen nodded, whispering to Nightwing. He glanced up at Cassie, surprised. Then his jaw became set again, and he instructed everyone to help move Megan back to the ship.

On their way back to the Cave, Dick called Wally over the intercom. "Wal-man, we need you. Megan's out. Completely out. Think you can help?"

"I can try. I'm not that far into my med studies, but I can always attempt."

"That's perfect." Dick was a little frightened. Megan had had different blackouts during missions before, but never like this. He turned to Cassie, who was sitting next to her. His blood boiled a little when he thought about how she disobeyed him. She had no right. She would pay for it later.

Cassie stared down at Megan. She touched her wrist and felt her pulse. It was a little slow, but she was still alive. Even if she wasn't breathing steadily.

When they got to the Cave, Wally was there to help carry Megan into the infirmary, and he instructed everyone to leave while he figured out what was going on. La'gaan looked so scared that it seemed liked he was about to cry. Connor looked a little concerned, too, but not as much. The rest of the Team sort of shifted around uncomfortably around the living room while waiting. No one was quite sure what to say.

Wally gave Dick a concerned look inside the infirmary. "She's shut herself into vegetable mode. She's not responding, and there's not much wrong with her. Must be whoever was there had a telekinetic power. Unless there's a way to get her to respond, she's gonna be like this for a long time."

"Damn. Well, keep working. I have a Team member to reprimand."

Wally peered over his glasses at him. "Mhm... You've really become quite the... different person than I'm used to since Zatanna."

"Why wouldn't I be? Is this 'different person' a problem?"

"No... Don't get all defensive man. I was just making a statement. Go do your thing, and Imma do mine." He waved Dick away with his hand. Dick shrugged, walking out and into the living room. Pointing at Cassie, he felt her follow him towards the hall. He noticed the others watch them, but he disregarded them.

"You wanna tell me why you disobeyed orders?"

"Because I wanted to make sure you all were alright..."

"I told you _not_ to come off the ship. And you didn't listen. You're officially on probation." Dick folded his arms. Suddenly, Cassie's entire mood changed. throwing her arms down, she cried out in anger.

"Oh, so I'm suddenly the Team troublemaker just because I disobeyed _one_ order? If I hadn't come, you all would be stuck there. And don't tell me that I could've called someone, because no one's ever told me who to call! You seem to think that I'm not capable of doing anything on the field. I mean, you and Connor train me physically. Megan trains me supernaturally. They both say I'm ready."

"They're not the team leader."

"Oh, please. You weren't even the leader when you were a team member."

Dick froze. Cassie could see his facial expression change dramatically. She knew that if she could see his eyes they would be filled with so much fury she would probably start laughing. The look on his face made her want to laugh hysterically. She'd hit a spot- a really sensitive one. "That's beside the point. I'm the Team Leader now."

"Not really. You should talk to Robin. Everyone seems to look at him as... well, ahead of you."

"I'm in charge of missions. I tell you what to do. You listen. You _obey_."

"Excuse me? What makes you think you can control me? The last I knew, you didn't own me."

"If you're not happy here maybe you should go back to California."

"And what about when Diana finds out? What then?"

"I'll explain we let you go due to... inconsolable differences."

"Generic excuse. A princess like Diana will know better. Besides, there's nothing for me in Cali."

"Oh, really? Like looking for your missing cousin, perhaps?"

Now it was Cassie's turn to freeze. Dick watched her go from determined to frightened in a matter of seconds. Her eyes became wide, and she started to shake. "How... How'd you know about that?"

"Your stepfather being missing? Diana informed me before you came aboard. She said this would help you move on from it; get your mind off it while everyone at home searched for him." Of course, Dick knew this was a lie. Diana had mentioned nothing of a cousin to him; it was all in the AFIS database when he'd searched her up. Cassie shook her head, blond waves sliding on her shoulders.

"Well, I'm not going back."

"Then you obey my orders. If you disobey again, I will send you back to California."

"Then put me on active duty."

Dick stared at Cassie. She had finally developed full bicep muscles, and her calve muscles were over-developed from all the years of cheerleading. Dick knew she was physically ready, but he was more or less concerned for her mental well-being. He knew she would be particularly vulnerable due to her past trauma. But the only way to prove to her that she wasn't ready was to put her in harm's way; to make her handle a situation. Or at least, try to make her. "Fine. The next mission we have. But you will be on Alpha Team with me _only_ because I'm going to keep watch on you. Bumblebee can handle comms next time." He saw Cassie smile widely, and she nodded excitedly.

"Cool. Goodnight, Nightwing." She turned around and walked to her room. As soon as he heard her shut the door, he walked into the living room. The members of his team stared at him with wide eyes. He rolled his eyes and stood straight, ready to defend his decision. Then again, he shouldn't have to. Despite what Cassie had said, he _knew_ he was the leader. So did they.

"Lights out in twenty. Otherwise extra drill tomorrow morning..." He paused. "With me." In a matter of seconds, the living room was empty. Doors shut simultaneously, and Dick smiled softly. _Take that, Cassie._

* * *

_"No!"_

_"Oh, just relax. It'll hurt more if you fight it." His words were slurred, and Cassie could barely move under his weight. The cold air would pass over her bare skin as he would shift on her. All Cassie knew was that she needed to get away. But that wasn't as important as keeping her legs closed.  
_

_But he was stronger than her.  
_

_"Nomm!" She tried to scream, but he'd smashed his lips against hers. She felt the tears stain her face as his hands roamed-_

Cassie woke up, screaming. Staring around her dark room, she noticed that it was a little after midnight. Quickly, she darted back under the covers to seem like she was asleep because she heard soft footsteps towards her door. She saw the light beams change as she stared at the foot of the door. The feet stopped there for a few moments, and she remained as silent as possible so whoever it was would go away. Finally, the feet moved, and Cassie heard a sigh. Must be it was hers, because not soon after, she fell asleep again.


	7. Six

The message flashed across the bottom of the screen, and then the news anchor started a segment about. CNN had been covering the story of Brian Metcalf, a missing boy of the age of twenty-two in California. They had found him, dead, in the middle of a local farmer's field in Los Angeles. His body looked badly bruised; most of the bones in his body were broken. The Team watched with wide mouths as the screen flashed to a picture LAPD had released to them. Not only had his body started to decay, but the bruising was so bad that it made Gar want to hurl.

Cassie bounded into the living room, so excited to tell everyone about her A on her Ecology exam, when she saw the face on the screen. Stopping immediately, her eyes became wide, and she dropped her steaming cup of coffee she'd been carrying from the local coffee shop in town. It splattered all over the floor, rushing around, creating some odd form of a blob. She felt her breath catch, and she started hyperventilating. Images from that night filled her mind, reminding her of... everything. Bart flew to her side instantly, waving his hand in front of her face. She continued to stare off, foaming, convulsing, all the while never falling down. The rest of the Team came rushing over when Bart claimed she wouldn't respond. Finally, she fell, causing Megan to scream. Quickly, Mal and Connor moved her to the infirmary, where they placed her down on the bed and hooked her up to a heart monitor. The machine whizzed to life, and everyone looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Not only had they lost Megan- who was still lying unconscious in the bed next to Cassie's- but now they were losing Cassie. She had only become a recent part of the Team...

Dick walked into the Cave casually, not paying attention to the TV or the spilled coffee on the floor. His mind was elsewhere. As he shuffled through the fridge to find his now-almost-gone wine, something caused him to stand up straight. _TV's on. No one's in the living room. Quiet. _He glanced over the bar at the spilled coffee. He also noticed the paper on the floor, a little crumpled. Dick walked over and picked it up, staring at the name.

_Cassie_.

Suddenly, it dawned on him. Something had happened. He just didn't know what. Walking down the hall, he suddenly saw La'gaan running towards him. "Nightwing! We need you!"

"What's wrong?" Dick stopped walking when the two met in the middle. La'gaan seemed out of breath.

"Cassie... she came running in while we were watching the news... and the next thing we knew she was hyperventilating and stuff. She's been seizing, and none of us know what to do. We tried to call you..."

"My pager's dead. Plus I've been... distracted..." Dick's voice trailed off, and he started thinking again. Shaking his head, he got back on track. "Where is she now?"

"In the infirmary next to Megan."

"Take me to her." Dick followed La'gaan to the infirmary, where he slid on latex gloves and grabbed a tube of fliud- La'gaan wasn't sure what it was. Dick walked over to the convulsing Cassie and jammed it into the side of her neck, releasing the medicine into her veins. In a matter of seconds, she had stopped convulsing and was lulling off to sleep. Dick turned to the Team, addressing them all. "Next time something like that happens. Grab one of those." He pointed to the box of shots he'd just opened. "Make sure you throw them away after using them." The Team nodded. "Now, give her some space. She'll be up in a few hours." He watched the Team file out, and he went to his room. After changing into some comfier clothes, he went back to the infirmary and sat down next to Cassie to wait until she woke up.

_Air. Get air NOW! _Cassie's eyes flashed open, and she shot forward, gasping for air. Clutching her chest, she let her eyes dilate to adjust to the light change. Glancing around, she noticed she was in the infirmary. The lights were blinding, but the husky voice and the warm hands pushing her back down made that seem miniscule. Blinking a few times, she noticed Nightwing looming over her. "What.. What happened?"

"Apparently you blacked out. It's ok now. You should get some more rest."

Cassie swallowed deeply, her mind racing back to seeing the news clip from CNN. She felt her chest closing again. But then she felt something else. Nightwing had his hand on her shoulder. It stopped suddenly, and she stared at him, wide eyed. Suddenly, she felt like a child. But she also felt like she was being cared for.

"Don't worry about it. Whatever it is, you can talk about it when you're ready."

"I'll never be ready..." Cassie shook her head. Nightwing nodded.

"It was the same for me when my parents died. I had no one to talk to, nowhere to go. That's when I became Robin. Batman took me in, became my... father, I guess. I know how you feel. Losing someone you love is hard. Especially when you find it out through the news." Dick got up to head away when Cassie's voice cut through the silence.

"I killed him."

* * *

**Cliffhanger. Yeah, I decided to skip the action scene, only to show in another way that maybe Cassie wasn't ready to be in the field. But maybe I'll do one... eventually. I'm more of a drama person anyways...**


	8. Seven

"You what?" Dick turned on his ankle. He knew about the accusation. He knew about the incident. But he didn't know that. And Nightwing knew everything.

Cassie nodded, wringing her wrists. "Yeah. That's when I found out about my powers. I didn't wanna kill- ok, I did. But I didn't _mean_ to."

"What happened?" Dick walked back over, sitting back down in the chair. He watched Cassie's eyes glaze over, and she shook her head.

"I can't talk about it."

"Cassie..." Dick paused. If he said what he really wanted to, it would sound like he cared for her. He didn't want to lead her into thinking he liked her... but there was something about her... _But what about Z? No. She's moved on. You saw proof of that today._ He let out his breath. "It's an endangerment for the Team. I can't have you here if this is going to be an ongoing problem. And if they connect you in the investigation..." Dick let his voice trail off. Cassie's eyes suddenly filled with rage.

"Excuse me? I tell you I can't talk about something and you throw it towards something inhumane? Do you have no morals? I mean, weren't you just five minutes ago telling me about your parents and if I needed to talk to someone I could talk to you? What the hell just happened?" Cassie clenched her fists so much that the IV popped out of her arm. Dick leaned forward and pressed it back in. Cassie winced briefly, and started to breathe a little steadier.

"I'm only looking out for the Team."

"Yeah. You're always looking out for the Team. Word around here is that since Zatanna broke up with you, you've been trying to prove to her that you are a big superhero. Well, heroes care about _people_. Not a team's reputation. They care about the people in the team. Ya know what? Get out."

"I cared enough to sedate you so you wouldn't die. Is that better?"

"I said get out."

They stared at each other for a moment. Dick sighed, standing. "Feel better Cassie."

Cassie watched him go. He was the one who saved her. Why did she feel like she wanted to tell him? Why did she feel empty because he'd walked away? She wasn't even caring about Brian. She was worried about Nightwing.

Dick slammed his door shut and threw open his desk drawer. There was a black photo album sitting in it- the only thing there. On the cover was a picture of Dick and Zatanna, her kissing his cheek. With tears in his eyes, he grabbed the photo album, flipping through. There were countless photos of them, together and singularly. Photos from parties, movie dates, walks on the beach, shopping... Dick felt the tears streaming, and he didn't care. Then the memory of today flashed through his mind...

_Grabbing a coffee at Starbucks... Walking out... Seeing the cafe across the street... And Zatanna... With some random guy... Kissing her... Like Dick used to... Her kissing him back... Hugging him... Like she used to hug Dick..._

Gone were the tears of sadness. In a fit of rage, Dick slammed the photo album shut and threw his glasses at the wall. They broke in half, and pictures slid out of the slots in the photo album. Sitting there, on his bed, Dick felt like a teenager again. It wasn't a good feeling.

* * *

A week went by with neither Cassie nor Dick talking to the other. It pained Dick to look at Cassie. He cared, he really did, but she couldn't know. Besides, she was a lot younger than him. It was... wrong. So. Wrong. For Cassie, it was a different story. Not having to worry about Dick constantly down her throat was amazing. She basked in the glory of stealing his wine and knowing that, since he didn't wanna talk to her, he couldn't say a damn thing. She didn't have to follow his orders, listen to his briefings... it was good. Then again, that hollow feeling haunted her. And it followed her everywhere she went.

It was a cold night, and the heat had just kicked in. Cassie was hungry, well, more like thirsty. It wasn't alcohol she was craving though. She just wanted water. As she made her way into the kitchen, she noticed the light over the stove was on. Subconsciously, she knew who it was. But she _really_ wanted that drink of water...

"Oh. It's you." Dick stared at Cassie, who was in a pair of yoga pants and a gray t-shirt. She arched an eyebrow at him, grabbing a glass and pouring herself a drink of water. "What, are we going to avoid each other for the rest of your time here?"

"I still can't believe you did that to me."

"You're welcome."

"For what?"

"Saving your life. You'd be dead, or a vegetable like Megan if it weren't for me." Dick took a swig of his wine. Cassie glared at him over the rim of her glass.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." Cassie turned on her heel to go, but Dick grabbed her arm. "I wanna know what happened between you and your cousin."

She glared at him again. "Like you can't guess."

He shrugged. "Sometimes it helps to tell someone. You don't have to tell me now, like I said earlier. I just want- need to know. Legal purposes."

Cassie rolled her eyes, placing her glass in the sink. "And here I thought you were starting to care again. Never fails."

Dick watched her walk away, staring as her hips swayed. Inside, he was melting. Standing up straighter, he followed her towards his room, where he quietly went in. He stared at the photo album on his floor, pictures strewn everywhere. He hadn't cleaned it up because he couldn't bare to see the pictures again. Shaking his head, he picked them up and took a lighter from inside another drawer in his desk. Silently, he lit the photo album on fire, watching it burn in the garbage can. When the flames got too high, he poured out his water glass over it.

It was time to move on.


	9. Eight

"I totally had him!"

"Gar, you were way out of range. I would've had a perfect shot if you'd stayed where you were." Cassie pushed the small green guy lightly with a small smile on her face. It had been her second active duty mission, and all had went fine- except for Gar getting in the way of her shot towards Brain. But Connor had swooped in and rescued them. It had been a productive mission, and now everyone was celebrating by pizza and a relaxing evening at the Cave.

"Nightwing, wanna join us?" La'gaan asked, flopping down on the couch and turning on the television.

Nightwing shook his head. "Naw, man. I gotta catch some rest. I'll see you guys in the morning."

"Man, you never do anything anymore." Connor grumbled, cracking his knuckles.

Nightwing shrugged in response, stalking off to his room. There, he changed into causal clothes and worked on his Chemistry homework on his bed. Soon he could hear loud music and laughter filtering down towards the back end of the Cave, and he smiled, remembering those days when he used to party too. Shaking his head, the memory was gone as soon as it had been. He made it a point not to remember Z. Not with the way Cassie made him feel now.

They'd been together for both missions, and surprisingly, she'd done well. Despite her emotional state with Brian's whereabouts being known, she performed as though he didn't exist. Dick was proud of Cassie, and he'd even high-fived her after both missions. He felt them getting closer, but he knew it was going to take a lot. Bruce had been ridiculously inquisitive towards him when Dick had asked him to work some magic on Brian's case. Inside Dick knew Bruce had an inkling, but Bruce knew to stay out of his matters. They both knew what had happened last time Bruce had gotten involved in Dick's affairs...

Glancing at the clock on his dresser, he grabbed his water glass and headed to the kitchen. As he poured some water from the tap he looked up to see Cassie sitting on the couch, a table lamp on beside her. She was flipping through something; Dick noted it was a photo album. The light blue binding looked very familiar...

A recognizable lump formed in Dick's throat, and he took a swig of his water. Silently, he stalked over to her, watching her innocently look at the photos. "Everyone looks happy, don't they?"

Cassie jumped at the voice, slamming the photo album shut and placing her hand over her heart. She stared up at the reflective coating of Nightwing's mask and sighed. It was just him. She should've known by that voice... "Yeah, I guess they do."

Dick nodded. "Mind if I sit down?"

"Sure." Cassie moved closer to the arm of the sofa, and Dick sat next to her, leaning towards the photos. There were so many of Megan and Connor; sadly, Megan had been moved back to Mars with her uncle so she could be better taken care of. Le'gaan was in torment because of it, and Connor was in just as much pain. "What happened between Megan and Connor? They looked so happy..."

Dick shrugged, remembering the huge fight. Connor was so angry he almost took out the Cave... "Some things about Megan came out no one else knew, and when Connor found out he went ballistic. Needless to say nothing Megan did would help him forgive her. They didn't speak for weeks until Connor broke it off. It was horrible."

"Wow. He still loves her though. You can see it in his eyes."

"Yeah."

"Much like how you still love Zatanna. Your pictures with her say it all. You have pretty eyes."

Dick jumped for a second. Z put pictures of him without his mask on in the photo album? "Excuse me?"

"Your eyes." Cassie flipped to a photo of him and Zatanna. Sure enough, Dick's mask was off. "They're a pretty blue."

"Eeh. I don't like to show em off too much."

"You can tell. And I'm right, aren't I?"

"About?"

"You're still in love with Zatanna." Her voice dropped a little as she finished her statement, and Dick shook his head vigorously.

"She's found someone else. I saw them the other day. Not the best sight."

Cassie nodded. "That's understandable. I see my ex-boyfriend with his new girlfriend all the time on Facebook."

"That's why I unfriended Zatanna after we... broke up."

"Was it true? She didn't think you were a real hero?"

Dick fiddled with his thumbs. "Well, I felt like my calling was to help upcoming heroes become the great superheroes of the next generation. I always felt like teaching was my calling. I wanted to stay with the Team, and Zatanna wanted to move towards 'real superherdome'. Or whatever she called it. Plus, Br- I mean, Batman told me I couldn't be a hero and have a relationship. So I pretty much walked away from both of them. I couldn't take it. My performance was slowing here with the Team. Everyone noticed, too. It was bad enough I was losing Wally and Artemis because they wanted to be normal. Then Megan and Connor broke up; Kaldur, Wally, and I devised this plan to thwart Kaldur's father... everything was all over the place, and... Yeah. Life sucked then. But everything's better now." He smiled a little.

"Well that's good. I'm sorry things went down like that."

"It's ok. Nothing like running away from home because I killed my cousin or anything."

Cassie shot him daggers. "I had no choice."

Dick threw his hands up. "Sorry. I was just joking."

Cassie sighed. "I know."

"You know, if you ever wanna-"

"Talk, I know. I just don't wanna relive it." She shut the photo album softly. Running her hands through her hair, she slid it onto the side table. "I'm gonna get some sleep. Goodnight, Nightwing."

"Night, Cassie." He sat there in silence for a moment, before putting up the photo album and heading to his room. Eventually, he'd get her to come clean.


	10. Nine

Dick heard the scream in his room like he was there with her. Just the sound of her screaming killed him inside. He felt so bad; he'd been the one to tell her if she felt the need to engage, she should. Unfortunately, she took that literally, and took the chance as soon as it presented itself. She didn't realize how deceiving their opponent was; the opportunity to strike was a trap. Cassie had fallen for it. Hard. Now she was paying for it. And so was Dick.

He couldn't take it anymore. Normally he would go in there and scold her, but this time it was different. He was going to be there for her, tell her the poison couldn't hurt her anymore. Lull her to sleep so Wally could work in peace. He was going to show her that he could be a caring person. That he _liked_ her.

He barged into the infirmary, the door slamming against the wall and shutting slowly. There stood Wally over Cassie's leg, squeezing pus and venom out of the lengthy cut running down the front of her legs. It wrapped around a few times from where the vine had been around her legs, pulling her towards the crack in the ground. Luckily, one of Dick's Bat-a-rangs had cut the vine loose, saving her from falling to her death. Cassie was biting on ice to keep herself from screaming. Dick could tell she had no pain medicine, and inside his heart was hurting. He hadn't felt that pain since when Zatanna was almost killed by Icicle Jr. in a mission a few years ago.

Cassie opened her eyes when she heard the door bang open. There stood Nightwing, hair disheveled, not even out of his uniform. His jaw was set, and he was shaking. He looked like he was about to lose it, especially when he saw her. Truly, the ice helped calm her down. But she could still feel the air rushing through her wound each time Wally popped part of it and the dead pathogens were released. The venom stung as he ran over the rest of her leg onto a towel underneath her. "Cassie, you're doing great." Wally's voice rang out amongst her thoughts. "Just a little longer and we'll move to the back."

Of course, Cassie had bandages over other scrapes and cuts on her body from being dragged across the ground, but none as bad as the lashes on her legs. Her right leg felt like it was losing circulation, even though Wally had tied a thick rubber band around it tightly to help keep the blood flowing. She could barely feel herself nod as she laid her head back down and closed her eyes. Suddenly, she felt a presence next to her.

"Wally...?"

"She's doing fine, Dick."

_Dick? Who's Dick? I thought that was a slang term for a guy's penis?..._

"It's all my fault."

"Not it's not. Neither of you knew what Ivy was up to."

"But I should've known. I've fought her before."

"Dude. She's gonna be fine. Stop freaking out."

"But..."

"You're not gonna lose her." More air rushed in. "Cassie? Cassie, honey, we gotta flip you over. Okay? You can sleep after that."

Cassie felt herself nod, and slowly she was flipped over on the bed. She turned her head and opened her eyes. There stood Nightwing, hand on her shoulder. He sat down in the chair next to her bed, and suddenly, Cassie wasn't focused on the pain. She was focused on the fact that he'd taken off his mask and was rubbing his eyes. Shaking his head, his shoulders started to shake. Cassie swallowed the rest of her ice and felt the sudden sting of venom. Wally was working fast-must be he was working with super speed or something. "It's not that bad." Her voice was barely audible, but she knew Nightwing heard it. He looked up, blinked, and smiled.

"If you say so."

"I do."

He shook his head. "Get some rest. You're gonna need it."

"Alright. Cassie, I'm gonna fill the IV with sedatives since I've just finished bandaging your legs. We're gonna flip you back over so you can sleep some. Is that okay?" Wally came around her other side and placed a hand on her shoulder. He saw her nod and slowly flipped her back over. He slid the IV into her left arm and started the sedative. He put another pillow under her head and watched her close her eyes. When he knew she was sleeping, he turned to Dick.  
"Bro, what is up with you all of a sudden?"

"I'm falling for her. And she doesn't even know it."

"She does. She's afraid of what will happen if she falls for you. Plus, I'm sure this thing with her cousin is really shaking her up. You just gotta be honest with her, man. I'll be in the guest quarters."

"Actually, take my room. I'll be in here." Dick handed Wally a key, smiling softly.

"There's extra pillows and blankets in that cabinet there in case you want to crash on another bed or something." Wally nodded towards a cabinet near the sink counter, which was open, filled with an assortment of blankets and pillows of all shapes and sizes. Dick nodded, watching Wally walk out the door. Silently, he turned back to Cassie, who was breathing softly and sleeping soundly. She looked so peaceful, and he grabbed her hand. He kissed her knuckles softly, placed it back down on the bed, and laid his head down on the space between her side and the edge of the bed. Before he knew it, he was drifting off into slumber.

* * *

Cassie awoke to feeling her hand weighed down. When she looked to her right, there was Dick, head on the bed and hand interlaced with hers. She almost jumped, but instead she leaned over, pulling the IV out of her arm, and poked his head. He jumped awake quickly, and they stared at each other with wide eyes. "Could you let go of my hand?"

"Oh." Dick quickly let go, his heart hurting again. "Yeah, sure."

"Thanks."

"Yeah."

There was an awkward silence for a moment, and then Dick leaned back in his chair. "So... You feeling ok? I see you took out your IV."

"What? Oh. Yeah, I'm fine. Where's Wally?"

"Sleeping in my room. I wanted to stay in here."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Are you on something? Because you're never this nice."

"I just..." Dick sighed, running his hands through his greasy-unwashed hair. "I don't wanna lose you." She widened her eyes. "Ya know, for the Team."

"Oh." Cassie narrowed her eyes. "Of course."

"Wait. No. Ugh." Dick shook his head. How was he going to tell her? For all he knew, she was still loopy on sedatives.

"Look, I'm sorry for striking when I did. I should've realized it was too easy of a shot. Too early in the fight. If I caused the Team any issues, I apologize." Cassie's voice was steel, and Dick could tell she was trying not to cry. She almost got killed out there. She shouldn't be apologizing.

"It was my fault. Look, Cassie, I'm sorry. I didn't think either."

Cassie shrugged. "Well, as long as the Team's okay..."

"I don't care about them right now. I'm in here because I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Well, I'm ok."

"Not last night you weren't."

She shrugged again, looking away. "You heard me scream?" The pain had felt exactly like when Brian had...

"Yeah. I did." Dick's voice brought Cassie back to reality. "And I swear, I could feel your pain. It almost sounded like my mother's scream when... Nevermind."

"No, tell me. Besides, I have a question for you."

"Well tell me your question while I get you some water." Dick got up, went to the sink, and started filling a paper cup with tap water.

"Was Wally calling you Dick last night or something? He said it more than once."

Dick thought for a moment. She'd already seen pictures with his mask off. What harm would it do to admit his name? "Actually, that's my nickname. It comes from Richard."

"Oh." Cassie nodded as she took the cup of water from him. "So your real name's Richard?"

Dick nodded. "Richard Grayson."

Cassie's mouth dropped open. "As in 'The Flying Graysons'?"

Dick smiled. "That's the one."

"Wow. Brian used to talk ab-" Cassie's voice cut short.

"Tony Zucco killed my parents. Your scream reminded me of my mother's when they cut the trapeze ropes and she fell."

"Oh. Wow."

"Yeah."

"So I remind you of your _mother_?"

"Yeah. You're just as witty. And beautiful." _Shit. Now what am I gonna do_?

Cassie smiled, trying to hide her blush. "I wouldn't say that. I've seen pictures of your mother. She looked... motherly."

"Before she became a mom she was a model back in Romania. She always used to say she was related to royalty, but no one ever believed her. She ruined her chances when she married my father, a peasant. They moved here when they first got married. Then they had me a few years later."

"Oh. Wow."

Dick smiled softly, remembering everything he ever did with her mother. The things she said, the food she cooked, the way she and his father always interacted and showed him how to truly love... She taught him everything. "Yeah. She was a great woman."

"At least your parents cared." Cassie rolled her eyes.

"But you have Diana. That's all that matters."

"Yeah. She saved my ass for real."

"How so?"

"From hiding-" Cassie shook her head. "I.. I can't talk about it." All the memories came rushing back in flashes, random pieces one after another.

"I just shared things the rest of the Team doesn't know to you, Cassie. I think I deserve to know."

"She hid Brian's body for me. And she told me that no one would ever figure out that it was me who killed him. I really didn't mean to. I just was so... angry... and hurt... and violated... and..." Cassie felt the tears coming again, and her legs started to hurt. Dick grabbed her hand.

"I'm right here."

"No. You don't understand... What he did..."

"Tell me." Dick was rubbing her arm now, softly, but enough to comfort her. She stared down at it for a second, remembering the red marks on her wrists from Brian's hands holding her down... Dick was holding her differently, gently, not at all like Brian...

"Can you not guess? Why the hell else would a sixteen year old girl beat the shit out of a twenty-two year old guy? Because he got drunk and raped me, that's why! But no one believed me! No one cared! My own mother thought I was lying and trying to get attention! For months, I was called things. Brian continued his little game for almost a year... pictures, texts, stalking... When he tried to do it again, I attacked him. That's when I found out about my powers. Diana found me crying at the damage I'd done... She explained everything to me... And then she helped me hide the body. And now.. Now they're gonna find out..."

"No. They're never gonna find out. Trust me." Dick stood, and did something he never thought of doing.

He kissed her.


	11. Ten

**So if any of you readers wanna leave a PM to give me some ideas of what you want to read & stuff, that's more than welcome. Also, those of you who are guests & reviewing, if ya'll wanna leave some ideas in your reviews, that's great. I love author-reader interaction. Shows a bond between the two(: So, without further ado, here's the next installment of my story(:**

* * *

Bruce tapped his fingers against his desk. Behind him was another computer, this one with a huge monitor the size of the wall. On the other side of his desk sat Dick, dressed in civvies, stiff as a board. He had his game face on-and he meant business. "Are you sure she just didn't go off in a fit? Half-breeds have those tendencies. Even Diana, a full-bred, has rage fits from time to time."

"I don't think so. Every time she starts to mention it, her eyes just get... well, scared."

"Look, Dick, I've heard you talk this way before. You know where this got us last time."

"All I'm asking is for you to pull some strings out there either as Bruce Wayne or as Batman. Even get Diana to do something. She's a great new asset to the Team. I would hate to lose her, and so would everyone else. If they somehow get her connected..."

"I know, Dick. I just don't want to do someone a favor if they're not who they say they are."

"What do you mean? Is she suspicious?" Dick arched an eyebrow at Bruce. He shrugged in response.

"Not from what I've heard. I always say that as a precaution."

Dick nodded. "I don't think you have to worry about this with her. Just... look into it?"

Bruce nodded. They both stood, shaking hands. "Hey, Dick?"

Dick stopped at the door and turned around. "Yeah?"

"Just be careful with her. Girls like her who've been through things like that are very vulnerable and will hold onto _everything_."

Dick smiled. "Gotchya. See ya, Bruce."

"Goodbye, Dick."

Dick drove back to the Cave smiling. He was glad he and Bruce were talking again. Truth be told, he missed Bruce, but he always felt like Bruce was a control freak. Either way, he was grateful that Bruce was going to check into Cassie's situation.

Cassie. The name sounded sweet in his head. Sure, things had been awkward between them since he'd kissed her and she'd freaked out, but he felt like soon she'd come around. He didn't even realize what he'd done until she started squirming. Then she'd bombarded him with a million questions as to what was wrong with him, and he'd given her another dose of sedatives so she'd shut up. Then he'd retreated to the gym, his room, and solo missions in Bludhaven. He didn't know how well she was doing exactly, but he had an inkling that she would have a million more questions for him. And this time, he'd answer.

He pulled into the Cave's back driveway, shut off his car, and headed in.

Cassie heard the door open and disregarded it. It was probably Mal coming in from a run around the mountain or something. She turned off the TV and switched on the radio instead. As she bobbed her head to the music, she pulled open her laptop and started working on her research essay for her Psychology class.

"Ooh, Psych. That was always my favorite." The so-familiar voice that Cassie hadn't heard in a week made her jump, slamming the lid to her laptop shut. She placed her hand over her heart to steady it's rate. Dick was smiling widely, obviously thinking the situation was funny.

"Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again." Cassie was breathless, and not just because he had startled her. He was dressed in tight jeans and a button down-just how she liked her guys to dress. His black hair was all disheveled, and his eyes were sparkling with something that resembled mischief. Cassie thought back to when he'd kissed her in the infirmary, and how she'd overreacted. Truthfully, she'd been so ecstatic she couldn't keep her mouth shut. Sadly, he'd drugged her up and left. Now, she wasn't so sure she liked him anymore. But that smile...

"Sorry. Couldn't resist seeing you jump." Dick ran a hand through his hair and placed his arm on the back of the couch. "But seriously. Psych was my favorite class."

She nodded. "Cool. What exactly are you doing here? I thought you were going solo for a while..."

"I was bored here so I ran off to Bludhaven. Plus I have my own place there. I wanted to see how well you guys did without me. Any news on Megan?"

"Um, J'onn said she was starting to breathe by herself again. Her fingers twitch from time to time. I guess it's gonna be a while before she can even open her eyes, though. Sadly."

"That sucks. I have better news, though."

"Oh, really? How's everyone with they whole New Year's Eve thing that they were on trial for?"

"Well, Bruce is back. I guess he wasn't their main target. And from the way he was talking, Diana's back too. And we all know J'onn's back. But I'm not so sure about the rest of them. Then again, J'onn is being monitored. So maybe he's not completely let go. But that's not my news."

"Then what is it? New weapons or something?"

Dick smiled, shaking his head. "It involves you." He moved a little closer, and Cassie leaned away in response. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Bruce is gonna look into the investigation and try to erase more evidence of you being involved. He might even see if Diana can do something."

Cassie untucked the strand from behind her ear. Dick shook his head, letting the tips of his fingers rest on her shoulder. _What the hell is he doing? Playing a game? Because I can certainly kill again if I have to. _"Cool. But I don't get why you're doing that."

"Because I told you I didn't wanna lose you." Dick leaned his head forward, almost to touch hers. She clutched her laptop under her arm and stood up abruptly.

"Look, Dick, I was quite startled when you kissed me. Even more that you _sedated_ me to shut me up. Then you leave for a week with no contact to the Team, and now you're back trying to make peace with me? I understand Zatanna messed you up real bad, but I don't think that's an excuse as to your acting this way. I'm not in condition to be in a kind-of relationship like that."

Dick stood, too. "I didn't mean to seem like that. I wanted to surprise you with the news. And I wanted to give you space in case you were a little freaked. And I was afraid something would happen to you if you kept rambling like how you were when I sedated you. I'm sorry."

"Well, you should've thought about that before you came here. Sorry, but I'm not gonna play this game. Like I said, I'm in no condition to." She walked away then, tears brimming in her eyes.

But he couldn't see that.


	12. Eleven

La'gaan smiled when he opened the letter. There was a picture of Megan in the hospital bed, eyes open. She couldn't use her mouth muscles to smile yet, but she had almost a... smirk on her face. He showed the picture to everyone and pinned it to the cork board on the kitchen wall. Things were getting better for her, and so were things for Cassie.

Finally, Diana was home. She had a longer trial, what with being the second head of the JL, and the princess of another country. Cassie was so glad to see her it wasn't even funny. She ran into her arms and started to cry. Maybe this was a sign. Maybe her situation with Brian-and Dick-would get better. "I missed you so much."

Nightwing watched from afar as the two reunited. This was one of those moments when he wished things were still okay between him and Bruce. He wanted that father-son relationship back. Bruce had taken him in when Dick had nowhere to go. Now, he was on his own. Sadly, he knew Cassie would be one day. It was just as sad to him that he knew if she found out he was the reason Diana had been able to get home so quickly it would make his quest to win her over even harder. Cassie was the kind of woman to do everything on her own; independent and self-sufficient. Dick needed a way to show her that it was okay to want him. He knew she would never need him. But he knew she was afraid of needing him. She was afraid that he'd hurt her like Brian did. It would take time, but if he played his cards right, things might go the way he planned.

Cassie led Diana towards one of the guest rooms in the back. "It's a little far from mine, but I think you'll like it. Maybe later we can go grab a coffee?"

"Yes. And Nightwing needs to come. I have some business matters to discuss with him. Plus, I heard he likes you." Diana winked. Cassie shook her head, trying to hide her blush.

"No. I don't do players like him."

"No one said you had to do him. Just date him."

"Woah. You _did not_ just say that." Cassie's eyes grew wide as she laughed. Diana chuckled in response.

"I'm pretty sure I just did. Still. I think he needs a drink. Especially with Bruce treating him the way he has been. Oh, this room is lovely!" Diana threw her luggage onto the queen sized bed and sat next to it.

"What do you mean, how Bruce's been treating him?"

"Every since the whole fight between them about the League and Zatanna, things have been horrible. But, Bruce still loves him enough to do favors for him."

Cassie nodded. "Yeah, Dick told me about Bruce pitching in for my case with Brian."

"He cares. He wouldn't do that for just anyone, ya know."

"He's only looking out for the Team. He just wants to fuck me to get over Zatanna."

Diana rolled her eyes. "Not everyone's Brian, Cas."

"But he _is_ a young guy who hasn't been laid in a few years and just found out that his ex-girlfriend is dating again. He's lonely. And everyone _loves_ to fuck minors."

"Just go on a date with him. I'll invite him to coffee with us and then let you two go off alone. I think he knows better than to do that to you, Cassie. He seems like a good guy to me. Now, suit up. We're going for a run in the gym. I need some exercise with all that airplane food I just ate." Diana patted her hand on Cassie's shoulder and gently pushed her out of her room.

* * *

Two hours later, Cassie found herself sitting at an expensive looking table in an expensive looking restaurant between two people who seemed to hit it off perfectly well. Sadly, Cassie was _not_ enjoying herself. All they were talking about was topics involving the League and conspiracy theories and other political topics Cassie had no interest in. She found herself playing with her food, no longer hungry. Even the food looked boring at this point.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her wrist. "You like your food?" Cassie looked up to see Dick, who was dressed in a fine suit with his hair just as disheveled as usual, staring into her eyes. She shrugged and took another bite-even though she'd only had two.

"It's not bad. But it's... _bland_."

Both Diana and Dick burst into laughter. "Darling, upper class food is _supposed_ to be bland."

Cassie threw down her fork. "Not to sound ungrateful, but... I don't want anymore. I don't want to eat a meal I can't enjoy. Taste wise and socially. Thank you for coming to dinner, but since I have no interest in political topics such as the ones you speak of, please excuse me. My entertainment seems to be in the clothing store across the street. I'll be over there if you need me." She dropped her napkin on her plate and walked with her bag out of the restaurant and into the store across the street. She knew she'd probably caused a scene; she'd ignored the countless apologies from Diana about how rude Cassie was being and the stone cold "It's fine" responses from Dick. But she couldn't be in that suffocating place any longer. The smell of wine made her drunk without even drinking, and the thickness of cigar smoke clogged her lungs, making her voice raspy and thin. The atmosphere inside the clothing store was totally different. It was crisp and clean, and the clothes were just Cassie's style. She pulled some random pieces off different racks, tried them on, and to her delight, had enough money to purchase them. Happily, she walked out, noticing that Dick and Diana were still inside the restaurant arguing with the manager about something.

Cassie stared up and down the street, looking for another store to wander into and purchase a few more things to get her mind off the scene inside the restaurant. She set her sights on a bakery just ahead.

But all that changed when someone grabbed her and dragged her down a dark alley between the clothing store and a tattoo parlor. Cassie tried to scream, but the guy had a grip on her she couldn't fight. Maybe she wasn't trying to fight. She felt her adrenaline kick into action, and she started nudging against him. He threw her into the center of the alley where they could face each other. She didn't know him, mainly because her wore a ski mask over his face. "What do you want, money?" She threw her bag at him. Cassie tried her best to stay confident, but it wasn't working.

"That's nice, too," said another voice, this one from behind. Suddenly, arms were around her, and slid under her skirt. Cassie tried to buck her leg back, but the man grabbed her knee. "Oh, a fighter, eh? You're gonna be a good one. I got one boys!" Suddenly, out of nowhere, five or six guys all dresses alike were surrounding Cassie. She screamed and they threw her around, touching and grabbing at her. She felt weak, powerless. She knew she could fight against them, but when the one who'd grabbed her second threw her to the ground and ripped her underwear off her, she had flooding memories of Brian all over again. And she couldn't do a thing.

She closed her eyes and braced herself for what she knew was coming. But, surprisingly, it didn't. The was a gush of air and she heard all of the guys yelling. Cassie opened her eyes to see Dick picking off each of the men, knocking them out in one punch. Cassie laid there in awe as he threw them all into a huge pile. He ran over to her, grabbing her into his arms. She tried to hug him, but he held her at arms length, running his eyes over her. "Did they...?"

She shook her head. "No.. I went to fight them off, but I had flashbacks of Brian and.. And..."

"Shh. It's okay. You're safe, I promise." Dick pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back. "Nightwing to Batcave. We need police and Batman here on the corner of Main and Market Streets. Attempted gang rape of Wonder Girl." He paused for a few seconds until Batman responded.

"Batman to Nightwing. On the way. Called Commissioner Gordon. You may leave with attempted victim. Report to Cave immediately."

Dick kissed the top of Cassie's head. "Come on, Cassie. Let's get you home."

* * *

Dick handed Cassie a cup of hot coffee. She smiled in return, taking a small sip. "It burns," she whispered, placing it on the stand beside her bed. "Thanks."

"Yeah." He placed a hand on her knee. She jumped a little. "Sorry. I just..."

"I know." Cassie nodded, looking at her photo collage of all her friends back home in California. "Why is it always me? Why can't anything good ever happen to me?"

Dick shook his head. "I can't answer that question for you. But just know that I'm here for you whenever you need me. Try to get some rest, okay?" He smiled and got up, heading towards her door. And then she said the words he'd been dying to hear.

"I can't sleep alone tonight, Dick."

He was next to her so fast she could barely blink. "Okay. I'm here."

Cassie smiled a little and Dick slid in next to her. "Can you turn off the light please?"

"Yeah, sure." Dick reached over and flicked off the light, engulfing them into total darkness. He flipped over and put his arm across her, pulling her close to him. Cassie snuggled her face into his neck, basking in his woodsy scent. After a few moments, she kissed his neck softly. "I felt that."

"Good. There's something wrong with you if you can't."

"You don't seem to be in much pain..."

"I just need someone here in case I get nightmares."

Dick shook his head, lifting her chin. "You won't have any as long as I'm here."

Inside, Cassie knew he was right. Smiling, she leaned forward and kissed him softly. He returned it, and the next thing they knew, they were sleeping so soundly that nothing could wake them up.


	13. Twelve

**To those of you who read the Prologue (which I'm sure you have), you're probably wondering where this is going. Needless to say, I'm trying to build on the romance part first. Like I previously mentioned, plot is my problem area, and I'm constantly reminding myself to get a move on with this plot. However, sometimes life's just about stopping to smell the roses, so keep that in mind while reading this. And remember, life is always full of surprises.**

* * *

There were no windows in the Cave. The only light available was artificial, so when Cassie woke up, she was usually welcomed by darkness. Needless to say, when she woke up to light in her room, she was a little dazed. She flipped over on her stomach, grunting when someone murmured her name. "C'mon Cassie. Wake up. It's past ten-thirty in the morning."

"Mmm." Another grunt. Dick shook his head, rubbing her shoulder again.

"Please?"

"Mmm."

Dick sighed. "Fine then. Miss breakfast. Mal made pancakes. Not as good as Megan's, but pretty damn close."

Cassie rolled over, fluttering her eyes open to brave the light. There sat Dick, hovering over her, lips so close to hers that if she lifted her head just a little bit... No need. Dick had already craned his neck far enough that he could brush his lips with hers.

"I knew that would get you up."

"Jerk," Cassie mumbled, but stayed on her back. Dick ran his fingers up and down her arm. Cassie shuddered lightly, not wanting him to stop. "Were you lying about the pancakes?"

"No, actually. Mal's finishing them right now. Want me to grab you some?"

"I can make it out there." Cassie sat up on her elbows, glancing around. "How long have you been up?"

"Since six. I went out for a run around the Cave and then took a shower. I feel better now."

Cassie nodded. That wasn't what she wanted to hear. He'd left her, left her vulnerable. Someone could've snuck into her room... Done things to her... "I'm hungry."

"Well, let's go get something to eat." Dick slid out of Cassie's bed like he'd been doing it for days. He held out his hand for Cassie to take, and she did. Their fingers laced together, tightly but loose enough that either of them could let go at any moment. Not that either of them would want to.

The smell of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and hash browns filled the hallway as they walked towards the kitchen. Everyone was sitting around the living room, as usual, when they entered. Mal smiled at them, and Cassie watched, wonder struck how no one said a thing to them about their appearance. "Order up!" Mal exclaimed, and Dick grabbed two plates for both him and Cassie. He filled them with food and brought them over to her at the couch.

"I know you might not be very hungry, but you need to eat. Diana wants you to go visit her today."

"Okay." The previous night's events flooded Cassie's mind. The fierceness of the men who had attacked her were imprinted in her brain-and on her skin. Light bruises were forming all around her wrists and upper arms. Sadly, as long as the bruises were there, she'd be remembering everything. She looked up at Dick, who was busy eating and watching "Tom and Jerry" with everyone else, laughing along. It made her wonder if he was as violent as the men who had attacked her- and Brian. It made her tense and uneasy to think about what he may want from her now that they were together.

_Together_. The word stuck in Cassie's mind, rolling around, never leaving. It buried itself in the front of her brain, embedding itself, never sleeping. It pulsed through her veins, charging her with some kind of chemical she'd never felt. It wasn't a feeling of pure joy, though. It was a feeling of guilt. She didn't like it; it didn't feel right. Somehow, she felt like they were going to be doomed. Maybe it was her attraction to him. She'd never felt that way about a guy, let alone a _man_; this feeling of sexual desire. Images flashed in her mind, and she shook her head to get them out. She would never do anything like that. That was... horrible. Wrong. Not Cassie.

She finished her breakfast and washed her plate off in the sink. Dick turned and watched her run her fingers through her hair as she drank a glass of orange juice. He noticed how her arm muscles pulsed like the veins in her neck did as she swallowed. Suddenly, a picture filled his brain of her, underneath him, gasping for air like she was downing that drink as he kissed her. He was running his fingers through her hair, feeling its silkiness, marveling at it as his fingers slid through it, all the way down her back-

"Dude! Are you even listening to me?" Garth waved his hand in front of Dick's face, causing him to jump in surprise. Dick smiled.

"Not really." He watched as Cassie headed to her room, watching her leave. It was then he made the decision that he'd show Cassie what sex _should_ be; not pain like she'd experienced. It'd be _real_.


	14. Thirteen

**Sorry it's been so long; school is more important to me than writing. Time to get a move on with this!**

* * *

Cassie shuddered at the cold polish she was painting on her toes. It was deep navy blue- her favorite color. Staring at the dark color contrasting her pale white toes, she knew it was the perfect shade for the week. Sighing, Cassie finished painting the second coat and placed the miniature glass bottle on her bed and fanned her toenails. Within minutes, they were dry.

Glancing at the open textbook on her desk amongst what seemed like a million stray pieces of notebook paper, Cassie was suddenly intrigued by what Dick was studying. He never told her when she inquired about it, and since it had been over a month since they had been dating, she felt like it was very... secretive of him not to. Was he trying to say she wouldn't understand? Or was it something he didn't want her to know? Maybe he just couldn't tell her. It was probably a Bruce thing; but Cassie didn't care. He was in the weight room with Gar this morning, so he wouldn't be back for at least another hour. She had some time to skim through his notes. Who knew, maybe she could actually help him.

Little did Cassie know that Dick finished with Gar early and was on his way back to Cassie's room. He'd been up late the previous night trying to solve those crazy Biophysics problems his professor had been reminding him were due at the end of the week. He knew Cassie was only in standard Physics, and he didn't want her to see the kind of stuff he was into. Presently, he was working on comparing Martian's DNA structure with Human's. He was taking note of the mutations and trying to come up with a formula that he could test in Wally's lab later that day. He was trying to see if there were any human diseases Martian's were immune to, because if the DNA and chromosomal structures were similar, Dick and his lab partners were going to attempt to create an immunization that could help humans become immune to certain diseases just by injecting Martian chromosomes into the bloodstream. It was far-fetched, but maybe if the process could be reversed, Megan could be healed faster than expected. Dick knew that the Team needed her, and La'gaan missed her more than anything in the world.

Cassie stared down at the mess of papers, confused. She could understand some of the basic variables and formulas, but everything else was a mystery. The door clicked open, and she dropped everything in her hands, spinning around. There stood Dick, stunned. Cassie bent over to pick up everything she'd dropped, but Dick was faster, scrambling. He threw everything on his desk and stared at her.

"How much did you read?"

"I could barely understand any of it. I'm smart, Dick, but not that smart." Cassie slid back on her bed, pulling her knees up. Truthfully, she thought she had an idea of what he was studying. And she didn't like it.

Dick stared at her. He knew she was lying, and he sighed in response. "You're a horrible liar, Cassie. Just be honest with me. How much did you read?"

"I thought I caught something along the lines of Martian mutations, but I'm not sure."

Dick nodded. "For medicinal purposes. They have 25 chromosomes each, and we have 23. They're not that much different than we are. Those two extra chromosomes most likely contain the anticodons that can help us heal others."

"But what if their bodies reject it? I'm just not into combining two species." Cassie shuddered.

Dick snorted. "Says the girl who's half-human, half-Greek God."

Cassie glared at him. "I'd rather just be human."

Dick stared at her, stunned. She was never like this. He had an inkling that she might be PMSing it, but he wasn't about to bring it up and upset her even more. He really didn't care, but he wasn't ready to deal with her if she was. If it wasn't PMS, Dick didn't understand what her problem was and why she was acting this way. He shook his head and moved into her bathroom, stripped naked, and stepped into the shower. He could feel his muscles relaxing, and when he looked out through the bubble glass, he saw Cassie at the mirror, brushing her hair. "Your hair'll get all frizzy with this steam from the shower."

Cassie leaned over an flipped on the fan. She spoke loudly over it, "Eeh. I'm having a bad day anyways."

"I'm sorry."

Cassie shrugged again, knowing he was watching her. It was a big risk being in here, but she didn't care. Sighing, she placed her brush back on the counter and left, shutting the door softly behind her. She figured she'd give Dick some privacy.

Sitting on her bed, she opened the novel she was reading for her online English class and took a swig of orange soda. Smiling to herself as she immersed into the world of mystical beings like mermaids and talking animals, she didn't even hear the shower shut off and Dick walk into her presence. He could've been fighting with a villain & she wouldn't have known. Wouldn't have cared. This story was too good to look away.

Cassie didn't even notice Dick slide boxers on under his towel and put on a pair of sweatpants. He decided a shirt wasn't necessary, and sat down at Cassie's desk, focusing on his work. He pushed his glasses further up his nose and scratched his head. She'd moved his papers; put them in a different order. Now, he couldn't even remember what he had been working on last. He decided it wasn't worth the hassle of working on at the moment, and turned to face his girl. He admired how she literally became part of the story. He could tell when someone got hurt, or when someone was kissing, someone cracked a funny joke, or someone was in an argument all by Cassie's facial expressions and gestures. He found it cute, and Dick caught himself smiling while staring at her. Finally, Cassie looked up, noticing him. Her face became suddenly red, and Dick leaned forward, pulling the book out of her hands. Without even bothering to look at it, he placed it on the desk and grabbed her hand. She moved towards him, and he pulled her onto his lap. She smiled softly, staring down at him. He leaned up to her, kissing her softly.

Cassie smiled to herself as she kissed Dick. It was cliche, but sparks flew in her brain when she kissed him. It was great to her; she had never felt it before. As he continued to kiss her, and she shifted herself to now straddling him, a voice sprung up in the back of her head.

_Don't, Cassie. _

She paused, pulling back. Dick stared into her eyes, one hand on the side of her face, the other holding her back against him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I should finish my book. My essay's due today." Cassie pulled herself off him and grabbed her book, falling back on her bed. Books were always her excuse for never going anywhere with Dick-since he was a nerd, he never seemed to question her decisions. And she was grateful. She just wasn't ready yet; she was too scared. She knew she'd be thinking of her recent experiences with sex, and Cassie didn't want to make Dick deal with that. Sure, Cassie was definitely attracted to him, enough that she'd thought horrible things about him, but she wouldn't dare just yet. It'd only been a month.

"No it's not. The post-it note on your desk says it's due in two weeks. You just got the book yesterday." Cassie stared at Dick with wide eyes. "I don't understand. Every time we get anywhere near going one step further than before, you pull away. I just don't get it."

Suddenly, the alarm sounded, giving Cassie her much-needed escape route. Breathing a sigh of relief, she grabbed Dick's uniform and her own, throwing his. "Here, Nightwing, you'll need this."

Sadly, Dick wasn't finished. Grabbing her arm at the door, he said, "This conversation isn't over. We'll finish it later."

Cassie shrugged out of his grasp and ran off, not wanting to respond.


	15. Fourteen

Cassie held on to Barbra as she carried her back to the Bioship. Babs looked so light; why in the world was she so heavy on Cassie's shoulder?

_Maybe it's because you're bleeding out too, you dumbass._

Cassie grunted to herself as she flew up into the bottom of the Bioship. Everyone else had safely made it back, but Barbra had been shot in the back as she and Cassie (who were part of Team Theta) were on their way towards the Bioship. Unfortunately, Cassie had to defend both of them all by herself, and she'd been shot in the arm in the process. Now, they were finally back, and everyone was fawning over Babs; hooking her up to IVs and giving her blood transfusions. Dick, who was responsible for her since Batman wasn't there (Commissioner Gordon wanted Babs under Batman's supervision at all times; clearly that was _not_ one of those times), was the most frantic. Cassie sighed, walking over to the First Aid station and grabbing some gauze. She tried to blot the wound, but the blood just kept coming. Turning her arm towards her, she noticed the bullet protruding her skin just enough that nothing would stop the blood. She frantically searched for the tweezers, but everything was getting blurry. Suddenly, the room started spinning, and Cassie grabbed the edge of the counter. She had to find those tweezers, and _fast_.

"I gotchya." Dick's voice rang loudly in her ear as she swallowed hard and opened her eyes slowly. "What happened out there, babe?"

"Babs... Got shot... So did I..." Cassie felt herself being pulled to a leather seat, and her arm raised onto the arm rest.

"Lemme go grab the tweezers. I'll be right back. I'll get you some blood too. Just don't faint on me, okay?" Cassie nodded, closing her eyes while she waited his return. Soon enough, Dick was back, wrapping her arm with a rubber tie to lessen the blood flow. "It's gonna hurt a little bit, okay, babe?" She nodded again. The shear pain of her skin being pulled up with the spikes of the bullet entered her mind, and that was all she could think about. The dizziness got worse, and kept getting worse as Dick worked his magic on her arm. She kept her eyes closed, imagining all the cuddling she'd get with him after he finished healing her. Soon, it was all over, and she could feel the needle inserted into her arm. Not soon after, the dizziness went away, and she could hear Dick talking to the other Team members. "Two Team members went down today. We need to rethink our strategies. Understood?" Pause. "We need to be more careful. It's not just about taking everyone down. It's also about making sure that we keep our own in check too. From now on, only a small group of us will go out on missions. We'll alternate, and categorize everyone so that everyone has a chance to go. Once we're sure that we're all getting out of missions fine, we'll band together again. We can't keep returning from missions with hurt members. We've already lost Megan. We don't need to lose anymore. Understood?" Another pause. "Good. Now take a rest everyone, we'll be home soon. Feel free to grab some snacks from the fridge. Gar, don't eat all of it. The same for you, Mal. I'd like to lessen our food bill. Batman nearly killed me after I turned in last quarter's expense report." Cassie heard footsteps, and she figured that was her cue to go back to sleep. And she did.

* * *

Dick stared at Cassie, who was picking at her bullet wound. It wouldn't be her last, of that he was sure, but he hoped she wouldn't get another one soon. Sadly, he knew she'd be upset when he told her that she wouldn't be going on as many missions as before-in fact, she'd probably be irate with him-but he was just trying to protect her. She seemed to be accident prone, and he didn't like that. Dick didn't want to lose her after just getting her. "Feeling better?" he asked, nodding towards her scab. Cassie shrugged, getting off her bed and grabbing a frappaucino from inside her minifridge. Popping open the top, she took a long swig and smiled at him.

"It doesn't hurt as bad as it did the other day. Then again, demigod status over here. I heal pretty well."

Dick nodded, turning back to his work. His formula had been correct, and now it was being shipped to Mars via Superman to give to their scientists and have them administer it to Megan. The sooner they could get her back, the better.

"Has Bruce mentioned anything to Commissioner about Barbra?"

"No. I don't think he will. He doesn't wanna lose Babs. None of us do. She's great at what she does. However, she won't be doing many missions for a while."

"New policy or something?"

"Yeah. We're alternating teams. However, the most accident prone aren't going for a while. If they do, they'll be going on smaller, most likely not harmful missions."

Cassie nodded, digesting this information. Dick knew that she understood that meant she wouldn't be going, but she didn't ask about it. He watched her sit back down on her bed and continued to read her novel for her British Literature class. He smiled to himself as he watched her drum her fingers against the rim of the frappaucino glass. She did the cutest things when she wasn't trying. "Is there a reason you keep staring at me?"

"Only because you're so beautiful."

Cassie felt her cheeks reddening, and she shook her head, staring at Dick with a glint in her eyes. "I find that hard to believe."

"It's true." Dick moved over to her bed and took her drink away. He placed it on her nightstand and moved her novel next to it. He leaned in towards her and kissed her softly. She smiled against his kiss, and scooted herself closer to him. He slid his arms around her waist and slowly, to build up the tension, pulled her towards him. Cassie sighed as he kissed the sensitive spot just under her neck, shuddering. His lips moved softly around her skin, and he could faintly taste the floral fragrance on her. He felt himself getting aroused, and stopped kissing her. He didn't want to freak her out, but she pulled him on top of her.

"More," she whispered playfully, running her fingers through his hair. Dick obeyed immediately, enticing himself by playing with her earlobes. She flinched at every movement, but not out of pain. To Cassie, this was shear enjoyment. Her entire body was on fire, tingling with sensations she'd never felt before. This moment was different than all their make-out sessions, and she didn't know why. But whatever it was, she liked it.

Dick nipped at her collar bone, which was completely exposed by her low cut v-neck t-shirt, and she giggled with pleasure. He raised her wrists over her head, and suddenly, something changed. Cassie was fighting him now, twisting and turning under him.

"Let me go! Let me go!"

Dick did as she asked, rolling over against the wall. Cassie faced him with wide eyes for a few moments, and then started bawling. Dick held her against him rubbing her back. He knew what had happened, and he knew it was going to be difficult talking about it. Deep inside, Dick knew that this was going to be so much harder than he wanted it to be. But the fighter inside him told him that they'd get through it. Eventually, Cassie would come around. Dick would just have to learn what he could and couldn't do with her. And right now, that was nothing.


End file.
